| Walker Pass | |
|---|---|
 The approach to Walker Pass | |
| Elevation | 5,250 ft (1,600 m) |
| Traversed by |  SR 178 |
| Location | Sierra Crest,Kern County,California,US |
| Range | Sierra Nevada |
| Coordinates | 35°39′47″N118°01′37″W / 35.66306°N 118.02694°W /35.66306; -118.02694 |
  | |
Walker Pass | |
| Nearest city | Ridgecrest, California |
| Built | 1834 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000210[1] |
| CHISL No. | 99 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[1] |
| Designated NHL | July 4, 1961[2] |
Walker Pass (el. 5,250 ft (1,600 m)) is amountain pass byLake Isabella in the southernSierra Nevada. It is located in northeasternKern County, approximately 53 mi (85 km) ENE ofBakersfield and 10 mi (16 km) WNW ofRidgecrest. The pass provides a route between theKern River Valley andSan Joaquin Valley on the west, and theMojave Desert on the east.
Walker Pass is aNational Historic Landmark, and is under the stewardship of theBureau of Land Management.
Walker Pass was charted as a route through the Sierra in 1834 byJoseph Rutherford Walker, a member of theBonneville Expedition who learned of it fromNative Americans. Walker returned through the pass in 1843, leading animmigrant wagon train into California. In 1845 the military surveying expedition ofJohn C. Fremont used the pass. He suggested it be named after Walker.[3][4]
Walker Pass was used in 1861 by cattlemen from theSan Joaquin Valley and theTejon region of the Tehachapi mountains to drive cattle to the silver boomtown of Aurora nearMono Lake.[5]
The Walker Pass Lodge was built nearby in the 1930s and was a well-known rest stop before burning down around 1990.
Aside from the paved road, the pass is essentially unaltered since Walker mapped it in 1834.[3]
It is the highest point onState Route 178. The pass is also the southernmost crossing along theSierra Crest, with more southerlyTehachapi Pass traditionally marking the geographic divide between theSierra Nevada andTehachapi Mountains.
Between Walker Pass andTioga Pass, several hours drive to the north, there is only one paved road for automobiles to cross over the Sierra Nevada. It runs from the northern end ofIndian Wells Valley at the east, to the hydrologic pass between theGreat Basin and thePacific Ocean at the top of the Nine-Mile Canyon road, then west along theSherman Pass Road.
All roads between Walker Pass andCarson Pass (State Route 88), over 200 miles (320 km) in distance, are subject to extended closure by winter snowfall. Walker Pass is sometimes closed due to snowfall, but due to its lower elevation these closures are for brief periods. However, most east–west traffic in the region utilizes the four-lane State Route 58 through Tehachapi Pass, located about one hour's drive to the south.
ThePacific Crest Trail crosses at Walker Pass. A campsite situated about 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) southwest of the road pass is a popular stop for hikers and astronomers alike.
The California Historical Landmark reads:
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